


Unexpected

by lowkeyamen



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, More tags and relationships to come (but they're a surprise ooo), Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, the fluffiest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-04
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-01-08 18:59:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12260220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lowkeyamen/pseuds/lowkeyamen
Summary: Jeonghan is determined to find the person that will make his soulmark complete; but he gets more than he bargained for.





	1. 想

**Author's Note:**

  * For [notkai](https://archiveofourown.org/users/notkai/gifts), [rikkaboshi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rikkaboshi/gifts).



> aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa hello  
> this style of writing is a lil different for me but hopefully i've done this concept justice and u guys like it!!
> 
> there will be more to this fic than it just being your typical boy meets soulmate kinda soulmate!au. i'm noy going to give anything away, because as the fic is titled 'unexpected' thats what i want it to be. hopefully u'll like the overall thing and hopefully i can actually finish it (lol i'm a little notorious of getting carried away and posting stuff and then hitting a wall and never wanting to look at it again - sorry @ my toppdogg friends)
> 
> anyway pls enjoy bc i fucking love symbolism and shit and fluffy soulmate fics and aaaa sorry i'm just talking shit (DISCLAIMER i speak 0 chinese, barely any icelandic and my japanese isn't as great as it should be lol so sorry if there are any innucuracies here but i tried my best to reseacrch)  
> HAPPY BDAY JEONGHAN ILY 
> 
> also i'm gifting this to my number 1s, eli, even tho they dont stan svt just bc they gave me the confident to post this ily too thanks, and shay for putting up with my constant dumb questions and stressing over kanji

想

The symbol that had been etched into Jeonghan's skin since the day he was born. Bold and black, slap bang in the middle of his wrist where he couldn't help but look at it. Constantly. By the age of seventeen he felt like it was mocking him, almost.

想

The word alone didn't mean that much to him.

Concept. Think. Idea. Thought.

Something along those lines. Whether the symbol was Chinese, Japanese, traditional Korean or even traditional Vietnamese was a mystery to him.

He knew the symbol wouldn't be on its own forever. That when he found the one he would have another, one that would pair with his to make another word, or something with more meaning to the two of them. When he found the person to complete him, his soulmark would be complete too.

Some people had it easier; a symbol in a language they understood, something that would help them find their soulmate.

夢

"Dream."

Jeonghan's fingers ghosted over the symbol on his boyfriend's inner arm.

"I see him in my dreams a lot." Mingyu mused, fingers carding through Jeonghan's hair.

"Is- Is it me?"

"I...I'm not sure. I never fully see him, just from behind or his jawline or something. I always know it's him though."

Jeonghan knew even then Mingyu was just cushioning the blow, that it was clearly someone else, but he chose to brush over it for a while. Because, why not? He couldn't be completely alone until he found his soulmate. They could be at the other end of the country for all he knew, on a different continent. It could take years to even find them.

But...part of him always wondered what if Mingyu was the one? They had a seemingly perfect relationship towards the end of high school, even in their first years of college they managed to keep it together without too many arguments over schedules and having to drive two hours to see one another.

And, if Jeonghan's symbol was Japanese, then their kanji did go together to form a word

夢想

But the meaning didn't really change, just the pronunciation. Yume became mosou, and a noun became a verb. That was it. It just...didn't feel strong enough for soulmate status.

And after a three year relationship, three years of love and laughter, Jeonghan's second symbol never came. It could take years of knowing someone for your second soulmark to appear, but Jeonghan's didn't.

Mingyu's, however, did.

夢寐

"Mubi. It means asleep, or to be asleep." Mingyu's voice was almost dreamy as the two of them stood outside of a second hand bookstore, rain ricocheting off of their shared umbrella.

"Is that him?"

Jeonghan knew this day would come, that Mingyu would find his real soulmate. That one day they would have to go their separate ways, because it was fate, right?

"Yeah." Mingyu breathed, eyes fixed on a tall dark-haired boy around his age, emerged in the blurb of some book he was hoping to buy.

"What's his name?"

"I-I don't know. We've never spoken. I just know it's him."

Jeonghan swallowed. Thickly. It was all he could do to suppress the tears. He didn't want this. He would be fine never finding his real soulmate if he had Mingyu instead. Not everyone needed their soulmate, anyway.

But he knew it wasn't right. That would be selfish. He had to let him go.

"You should go find out. Buy him that book or something."

Mingyu turned to face his boyfriend, heart shattering at how watery his eyes were, the way his shoulders hunched, almost as if he was curling in on himself. He loved Jeonghan, he really did, but the pull he felt towards this stranger, his soulmate, was way too hard to ignore.

"I'm sorry."

Mingyu's voice was barely above a whisper, but Jeonghan heard it loud and clear. He was sorry too. Sorry that soulmates existed. That fate stole the love of his life away from him. That this other guy was standing there in front of them, tall, dark, handsome, with a soft smile on his face as he perused the romance section.

He sighed. It wasn't his fault. He couldn't go through life resenting Mingyu's soulmate. He never asked for this, neither of them did.

"Don't be." He turned too, eyes locking with Mingyu's. How could he ever be angry looking into such deep, mocha eyes? He tended to get lost in them, if anything. He could spend hours just- No. he couldn't think like that anymore.

Despite the pouring rain and the November breeze, he felt warm. Mingyu just tended to have that effect on him. "It isn't your fault. This is just the way things have to be."

Mingyu's lips quirked up ever so slightly. That was one of the things he loved most about Jeonghan. He was so kind and understanding. He hoped his soulmate would have similar qualities.

That had always terrified him, the idea of finally finding his soulmate and them being awful, of ruining what he had with Jeonghan because of a couple of dreams. He thought that when his second symbol came, and Jeonghan didn't have a matching one, he would be able to ignore it, that he could stay with his boyfriend regardless. But...he couldn't. The pull was too strong. He couldn't sleep. 夢寐. _Awake_. He was honestly worried that he would be awake until he and his soulmate were together.

"I love you, Jeonghan. I always will."

Jeonghan stifled a whimper as Mingyu laced their fingers together. He couldn't cry. He didn't want to make this any harder than it had to be and he knew fine well Mingyu would drop everything to make him feel better if he cried.

"I love you too, Mingyu." He squeezed the younger's hand, eyes losing focus as they lingered on plush lips. "Can I...?"

"Of course."

Mingyu leaned in, catching Jeonghan's lips in his own. The kiss was soft, lips cautiously moving against one another, afraid to take it any further. It couldn't lead into anything else, this was goodbye.

Jeonghan's eyes fluttered back open as Mingyu pulled away. The air was as heavy as his heart, as the lump forming in his throat. He couldn't drag this out any longer.

"Go." His eyes flickered back into the bookshop, to Mingyu's soulmate. He really hoped this guy was nice, that he would give Mingyu the type of love he deserved. "He's your destiny."

A sad smile graced Mingyu's lips as a whispered out a _'thank you'_. Why did Jeonghan have to be so perfect? So understanding? Honestly, part of him wondered whether a huge fight would make this easier, if he could just cut Jeonghan out completely. But he knew he could never do that. The elder would always mean so much to him. He just hoped meeting his soulmate would help erase the intensity of the feelings he had towards the brunette.

Jeonghan watched on as Mingyu placed the umbrella into his hold, stepping out into the rain and into the bookshop. He watched with a nostalgic smile as Mingyu hesitantly approached the other boy, fingers wringing together as he plucked up the courage to say hello, just like when the two of them had first met. He watched the shorter boy turn to his boyfriend, his eyes widen in realisation, realisation that this was the man he had been dreaming about. He watched them show one another their soulmarks, watched as their faces erupted in wonder. He watched them find each other. He watched Mingyu slip away from him. He watched the love of his life fall for someone else within seconds.

His fingertips ghosted against the soaked glass of the bookshop, fighting every muscle in his body that wanted to run in there and claim Mingyu as his own. He let the umbrella fall to his side, rain mixing with tears as he came to the realisation that he was alone now. That he didn't have his soulmate. That he may never find his soulmate.

He was devastated. Thoroughly. But the fact that Mingyu had found the one at least brought him a little peace. He could be happy now; he was whole, he-

Jeonghan stepped back from the window, tearing his eyes away from the instant bond Mingyu and his soulmate had formed. He couldn't stand here and watch his anymore. He needed to escape.

So he did.

He took a break from his studies, venturing to China for a couple of months.

He needed to get out of his dorm room. Everything there reminded him of Mingyu. The way the younger would manage to whip up hearty, home cooked meals in his tiny, shitty kitchen. Waking up with his head buried in a chest much bigger than his. And every time he got ready he managed to find something else belonging to Mingyu. He couldn't stand it.

So, he left. He travelled. He immersed himself in a new language and culture. He thoroughly washed Mingyu out of his hair just north of Hong Kong.

He used his broadening knowledge of Mandarin to try and figure out his own soulmark.

想

He really hoped it had something to do with finding his soulmate, just like Mingyu's did. His symbol meant dream and he literally dreamt about him. Why couldn't things be that easy for him?

想

To think. To believe. To suppose. To want. To miss. To wish.

Xiǎng meant so much in Chinese he didn't even know where to start. None of these words were helpful because of course he thought about his soulmate. Of course he wanted to meet him, wished to meet him. But none of that was going to help him find him.

He began trying to figure out what hànzì his soulmate might have, what other symbol would appear on his arm to complete him. There was no way he could know for sure, but maybe it would help him figure out where he was.

想法. _Xiǎng fǎ._ Idea.

想念. _Xiǎng niàn._ Longing.

想头. _Xiǎng tou_. Hope.

想家. _Xiǎng jiā_. Homesick.

These were all possibilities, but they didn't bring him any closer to finding his other half. He still couldn't even be sure if his symbol was Chinese. Something was telling him that it wasn't. That he was wasting his time. But it was all he had right now.

"Xiǎng xiàng."

Jeonghan quirked an eyebrow, still not fully used to the inflections used in speaking mandarin. Of all the languages he could have chosen to learn.

"It means like...visualise. Have you ever visualised your soulmate?"

Jeonghan wracked his brain as he nuzzled into Junhui's bare shoulder, an arm lazily draped across his boyfriend's stomach. Dating Junhui was different to dating Mingyu; he knew there was no chance of the two of them being one another's soulmates.

_Stjörnu._

Star in Icelandic. That's what was etched into Junhui's skin, on his chest, just above his heart. They weren't destined to be together by any means, but it was nice having someone to care about again, someone to love.

"Sometimes, if I go out to the countryside, where the sky is a lot clearer and look at the stars I can feel him. It's like he's laid on the blanket next to me, staring up at them too."

Jeonghan thought about it. Really thought about it. Had he ever experienced anything like that? Had he ever visualised his soulmate? Imagined him?

Maybe he had. Maybe his situation was similar to Mingyu's and he just hadn't realised it. He was pretty sure he didn't reoccurringly think of anyone, but...

"I don't think I've ever seen him. Or really thought about what he looks like, but sometimes I think in English instead of Korean."

Jeonghan was fairly proficient in English; he had studied it all through school and continued to teach himself new words and phrases once he began university, but probably not to the extent that he would be able to think in English. Especially not with an American accent.

"Well, Xiǎng does mean to think. Maybe you can hear his thoughts."

Jeonghan's breath was shallow. How hadn't he realised this before? He had agonised for years over the meaning of his symbol and it was right in front of him all this time.

"Maybe he can hear mine."

"Maybe you could communicate with him, if you really try."

Jeonghan closed his eyes, tried to clear his mind and focus on his soulmate. It was difficult, having no idea what he looked like, but he knew his voice. He tried to send out a message, repeating _'where are you'_ in English over and over in his mind like a mantra. He tried and tried until he felt lightheaded, eyes snapping open as he gasped for air from having held his breath for too long trying to force the thoughts to his partner.

"I don't think it worked." Jeonghan whined, an ache beginning to flare up in his temples.

"You can try again another time." Junhui pulled him in closer, so the elder was almost on top of him, lips colliding together. "You're mine for now, anyway."

Jeonghan giggled softly, letting himself get lost in Junhui, like he always did. There was plenty of time to find his soulmate, anyway. He loved what he had right now.

But it didn't last.

He knew it wouldn't, neither of them saw the point in trying to maintain a long distance relationship once Jeonghan had to return to Korea. They weren't soulmates, after all.

They kept in touch, however, via FaceTime and Skype. That's how Jeonghan got to see Junhui's completed soul mark.

_Stjornuhiminn._

"I finally found the sky to my stars." Junhui beamed, proudly showing off a boy with fluffy hair and wide eyes. "This is Minghao."

Jeonghan beamed back. He was happy for them, he really was. They seemed to make a cute couple and Junhui hadn't stopped smiling since the video call started.

"I hope you find him soon, Jeonghannie."

"Me too."

Jeonghan's final year of university came around quick, and he was still no closer to finding his soulmate. Everyone around him seemed to be pairing up, and there he was. Totally alone.

He had tried his best to communicate with his soulmate. Meditation, sensory deprivation, he had even taken LSD in a last resort attempt to kick his brain into gear. But nothing seemed to be working.

He could still hear his soulmate, but it was never anything that would help them come together. Just random thoughts. Usually late at night, or when he had just woke up. He could go the entire day without hearing his soulmates voice, until midnight, every night like clockwork, he would hear him. Usually a faint groaning.

He was trying to pay attention to his first lecture of the new school year, but something, or rather, someone, kept distracting him.

_'Wow, this place is huge.'_

Jeonghan almost jumped. Why...why could he hear him? It was 1pm, he never heard him at 1pm.

_'Where is the...? Oh! That way!'_

Jeonghan's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to concentrate. The voice seemed so much clearer than usual, less muted. What did that mean? Was he finally making some progress in contacting his soulmate? Had all of those hours of meditating finally paid off?

But why now? Why not when he was somewhere quiet, where he could block everything else out.

_'God, I hope I make some friends here.'_

He sat back in his chair. It was as if his soulmate was sat directly next to him. Speaking in his ear. Not just a faint whispering like he was used to.

_'Shit...'_

His soulmate was panicking and he could feel it.

_'What's that- Jesus Christ, I've literally forgotten everything.'_

He was nervous. Really nervous.

_'First time. First. First. What's the Korean word fo-'_

Korean? His- His soulmate was trying to speak in Korean?

_'You know this, oh my god! What-'_

"Cheoeum." Jeonghan whispered the syllables under his breath.

"What?"

Jeonghan eyes widened as he realised he had said the word aloud.

"First time? Of what?"

He turned to the girl beside him, stuttering. "I-it's nothing. I was thinking about something else, sorry." How fucking embarrassing.

He sighed, deeply, trying his hardest to focus on what the professor was saying. This was his final year, it was important that he paid attention, that he-

_'Thank you'_

Jeonghan's breath hitched, almost choking on his own saliva. Did...was that?

He just communicated with him. With his soulmate, they- He responded. He helped. He...his soulmate could really hear him. This all felt so real. He had someone. He didn't know him or really know anything about him. But he had someone.

The American voice was a lot more active during the day now, as opposed to at night. He couldn't quite put his finger on why, but he wasn't complaining. Hearing his soulmates random thoughts was almost soothing. He rarely seemed to get angry or irritable and everything about him just seemed so...soft.

He liked music and played guitar. He would pray every night before bed. He seemed to live off of chicken. He loved reading, and Jeonghan would often get caught up in his soulmates novels himself. It was as if he was being read to, and he would stay up way later than he had intended just to hear the end of the next chapter.

Although the voice was clearer, more frequent, he still found communication difficult. It hadn't happened again since that first day of class. Maybe it never happened at all, maybe that thank you was meant for someone else, maybe it was a sheer coincidence that he even heard it.

_'Jesus Christ, this is really happening.'_

Jeonghan was catching up on some homework he had been putting off when his soulmate interrupted him.

_'Oh my god, he- wow...'_

His voice sounded more breathy than usual. It sent chills down his spine.

_'Mhmm...yes...'_

His head began to cloud, barely able to register what was written on the page in front of him. What the-

_'Oh, god! Just put it in me!'_

He sat bolt upright. Was he- Was-

_"Oh my god."_

His soulmate was having sex and he could hear his every thought.

It was around that time of night, when he would read to himself, and in turn to Jeonghan. When he could hear him for longer periods of time. When it wasn't just random snippets here and there.

And now-

"Fuck."

Surely this was a massive invasion of privacy. He turned some music on, hoping to drown out the moans of ecstasy ringing in his ears.

But it didn't work. Of course it didn't. It's not like he was trying to muffle the sound of his roommate banging his girlfriend in the room next door, this was in his head. And it wasn't going away.

_'Fuck. Fuck. Ah- Ow! Okay. Fuck. Oh my god, that's more like it. Fuck.'_

Jeonghan's entire body felt like it was on fire. This was so, so wrong. He felt like he was spying on his soulmate. They hadn't even met and he was listening to him being fucked. This wasn't how soulmates were meant to work, surely.

_'Yes! Oh, fuck yes!'_

Jeonghan bit down on his bottom lip, fingers creeping down his torso to the waistband of his boxers, as if on autopilot. Part of him was screaming to stop, that this was wrong, that he should even be thinking about getting off to his soulmates moans without the other knowing.

But he was so loud. So, so loud. How could he just ignore that? He wondered if his soulmate was that loud in real life, or if he was too shy to cry out and that's why he kept his moans locked in his head. What if he was gagged? What if he couldn't moan out loud because whoever he was with had stuffed something in his mouth to keep him quiet?

"Fuck." Jeonghan breathed out, arching into his own touch as he imagined his soulmate bound and gagged, tears streaming down his face as he writhed around, fingers curling into tight fists since he couldn't grab onto anything. He didn't even know what his soulmate looked like, but it didn't matter, because the moans swimming around his head were more than enough to tip him over the edge.

_'Yes! Yes! Oh god, I- I'm so-'_

Jeonghan came in his own hand, crying out much louder than intended. The moans had stopped, replaced with a dull buzzing in his ears as his orgasm knocked everything out of him.

He groaned to himself. His head was spinning, his breath was ragged. He had never come like that before, not by his own hand.

"For fucks sake."

He pushed his note book on the floor; there was no way he'd be getting any more work done. He was just going to lie here, wallowing in self-pity until he fell asleep. He couldn't even bring himself to get cleaned up.

He curled up in a ball, pulling the duvet over his head. He had just gotten off to the sound of his soulmate with someone else. Without their permission. Without knowing them. He felt disgusting.

Fuck. What if they knew? What if they could hear his thoughts? His thoughts of...fuck. He was so fucked.

What was he thinking? He knew fine well there was a possibility of his soulmate hearing him and he- Fuck.

If they ever did happen to meet the guy would probably hate him. He wouldn't even blame him, either, he was just a disgusting, perverted-

_'I hope you came as hard as I did.'_

His eyes cracked open.

What? Did-

He heard everything, didn't he? How fucking embarrassing. But...he didn't seem angry. He seemed...like he liked it, maybe. Hopefully.

_'And, yeah, I was gagged.'_

Jeonghan gasped, audibly. He really did hear everything. He heard Jeonghan coming to the thought of him all tied up, whimpering around a spit-soaked price of cloth tied at the back of his head.

His face flushed bright red, even though no one could see him. How would he ever be able to face his soulmate now if they met? Why was the other boy so calm and collected about this? Why did this feel so wrong but so, so right?

Because this was his soulmate. The man he was destined to be with. For the rest of his life. The person that would complete him. That he would feel love like he had never experienced for. They were meant to be, and that meant sharing everything. Even some more sordid details.

He felt warm, not in the skin-tingling, chest-burning way he had just a few minutes ago, but in the fuzzy, lovey-dovey sense. He felt like he was getting closer.

_'Goodnight.'_

His soulmate was communicating with him. He tried his hardest to send his own thoughts back. To reply. He wanted to be able to control this. To ask him things. To find out where he was, but it didn't seem to be working.

He sighed, giving up when he got no answer, whispering under his breath as he pulled the duvet tighter around himself.

"Goodnight."


	2. 意想

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how!!!! did I almost!!!! forget about this fic???? bc I lowkey love it???  
> this is pure self indulgent fluff omg pls enjoy xxx
> 
> I really want to get into writing more seventeen fics but omg i'm always so nervous about stepping out of my little tiny, dying fandom ajhslkdhls :((

 It seemed, that his soulmate could communicate with him, control the thoughts he was sending, but he couldn't communicate back. 

_'What's your name?'_

_'How old are you?'_

_'Where do you live?'_

He tried his hardest to reply, so much so that he'd have a constant headache, but he just didn't seem to be able to. 

He wondered why his soulmate would ask questions, why he couldn't just send Jeonghan statements, facts about himself. Instead of asking where Jeonghan lived, why not state where he was from, his name, anything about himself that would allow them to find one another. 

It was frustrating; being able to hear someone but not see them, not knowing anything about them other than the sound of their voice, than the fact they pronounced certain words different to him. 

_'God, I need a coffee.'_

Jeonghan smiled softly to himself, sending back a mental _'me too',_ despite knowing it would never be heard. They seemed so in tune sometimes. He'd find his soulmate would often be thinking about something similar to him, and now here he was, collecting his drink from the barista as his soulmate thought about coffee. 

"Can I have an iced caramel macchiato - but not too much ice because I have sensitive teeth - with a pump of hazelnut? And lots of that caramel sauce. Oh, but with soy milk and can I have decaffeinated coffee too, please? No cream."

Jeonghan scoffed at the ridiculously specific drink his soulmate was ordering, wherever he was. Sometimes he found it hard to believe this other person could possibly be so far away from him, his voice was crystal clear, as if he was right there in the café. 

"Oh, can I have a skinny blueberry muffin too, please? Can you heat it up for me? Do you do that here?"

He found it a little odd that his soulmate was thinking about his order as opposed to saying it aloud. It was almost as if he was having a conversation with himself in his head. Weird. 

He grabbed a couple of napkins, scoping out a place to sit down when a jolt shot through his right wrist, causing him to spill his coffee all down himself. 

Great. Now he'd have to go to uni looking a complete mess. 

What the fuck happened to his wrist, anyway? Some kind of muscle spasm? He set about trying to clear himself up, dabbing his t-shirt down with napkins the best he could. 

That's when he saw it. 

His wrist. 

意想

He- He had two symbols. Two soul marks. But...how? He hadn't met his soulmate yet, only heard him. He ha-

"Oh my god, are you okay?"

He froze. That voice. It wasn't inside his head. It-

A boy with gingery hair, catlike eyes and a handful of napkins came into his vision, fussing over him as he tried to clear up the mess. 

Was that?

Jeonghan could barely breathe, muscles frozen in place, jaw slack. 

"Hey? Hello?"

A hand waved in front of his vision, causing him to snap out of it. He stilled the hand, grabbing the other boy's arm so he could steady it, so he could get a look at his wrist. 

意想

Jeonghan let out a shuddering breath. That was the- This was- His eyes slowly trailed up to meet the others, a mixture of shock and confusion swimming in hazel. 

It was him. 

"Y-you- You're-" He couldn't get his words out; his entire body was shaking. "You're my-"

The auburn-haired boy tilted his head, not quite sure what was going on. Why was this guy acting so weird? He had only wanted to help him clear up his mess. Why wouldn't he stop staring? 

He couldn't say it. He had been waiting his entire life for this moment and he couldn't fucking say it. 

He would have to show him instead. 

Jeonghan pulled the sleeve of his hoodie up, revealing the marks on his wrist for the other boy to see, lips breaking into a wide smile as the penny dropped. 

"You're my..." The other boy's eyes flitted between Jeonghan's wrist and his own. He hadn't even realised he'd gotten his second mark. Well, he had felt a slight pain just before but...it had never really registered. 

"Soulmate."

"Wow." 

"Jeonghan."

The other boy blinked a couple of times, trying to remember what the translation for that word was... No idea. 

"My name." Jeonghan offered, picking up on the perplexion on his soulmates face. He looked even cuter when he was confused. 

"Oh! I'm Joshua. Or you can call me Jisoo if you want, if Joshua is too hard to pronounce or whatever. Jisoo is my Korean name so...that's what everyone else here calls me." Joshua rambled on, laughing awkwardly. He thought he would have been more than prepared for this day. But clearly not. He was shitting himself. 

"Joshua." Jeonghan breathed out. The name almost felt sweet on the tip of his tongue. "Joshua is good. I like it."

Joshua felt his face flush, his stomach twist. It had been months since anyone had called him that, since he left America in fact, and the fact it was coming from his soulmates mouth made him feel...well, a little nauseous. But good nauseous. He hoped. He wasn't going to throw up on his soulmate the first time they met, was he? Oh god. Why did he order such a sweet drink? When did the smell of coffee become so overpowering? He had to get it of here before he really did projectile vomit all over the man he was meant to spend the rest of his life with. 

"We should talk...somewhere."

"That'd be nice."

Joshua found them somewhere outside, in the fresh air. Somewhere on the outskirts of their campus, a little bench under a tree to shield them from the beaming sun. It was simple but Jeonghan found it a little romantic. 

He couldn't stop staring at Joshua. It was a wonder he even took in anything he was saying. But he did. He was born in December, lived in Los Angeles his entire life before coming to Korea to finish his studies. He was an only child and felt bad about leaving his parents in America even though they were proud of him for studying hard enough to move across the world. He loved music and played guitar. He was a Christian. He wasn't that big on partying, but his roommate would manage to convince him once in a while. He spent more time perusing shelves in the library than he did actually reading. He loved going to art galleries even though he rarely understood what any of the pieces were about. He was terrified of clowns and masks and blood but was drawn to watching horror films regardless, he liked being able to curl into someone and hide. 

He took in every single word Joshua said, his voice was like honey; sticky, sweet, every word seemed to linger in his mind and leave a taste in his mouth. He wondered what his singing voice was like. Probably enough to bring him to tears. 

He had seen other people fall for their soulmates instantly, but he was never sure he fully believed in all of that. 

Until now. 

Joshua was perfect. He was the definition of perfect. He was gorgeous, with sunkissed skin and emotive eyes framed by long eyelashes. His bone structure was impeccable, in fact, Jeonghan had been staring at him so intently for so long he could swear that his face was perfectly symmetrical. He looked as if he had been crafted by the gods. Like an actual angel sent down to earth to-

"Anyway, enough about me. I feel like I've just been rambling on and haven't let you get a word in edgeways and-"

"It's fine." Jeonghan smiled, the leftover ice in his cup tinkling as he played with the now-chewed straw of his coffee. "I... I like the sound of your voice."

Joshua blushed again. Maybe it was best that he rambled on, didn't let Jeonghan get a word in edgeways, because every time the elder opened his mouth he felt nauseous, a kaleidoscope of butterflies would set off in his stomach. 

God, he really hoped it wouldn't always be like this. 

But, Jeonghan was beautiful. He almost felt unworthy. He was just some kid from America that liked chicken and fantasy novels, and here he was, tied to this long-haired, model-sequel enigma of a man. Okay, maybe enigma was a little strong, they had barely known one another an hour, but he really didn't know all that much about Jeonghan. He seemed so guarded. Maybe that's why he-

"Hey, why did you never answer my questions?"

"Hm?" Jeonghan tilted his head, tucking a few stray strands of hair behind his ear. What was Joshua talking about?

"Through our, like...telepathy thing. I asked you so many questions and you never answered. I thought that maybe...you didn't want to meet me."

That would explain why Jeonghan was being so quiet. Oh god. Joshua had dragged him out here to talk and he probably didn't even want to meet his soulmate. He was probably already with someone else anyway. Someone he truly loved, and not just because he was obligated to. 

Jeonghan's eyes widened. That was the last thing he wanted Joshua to think. 

"No! No, no, it wasn't like that. I-I tried to answer, I really did. But it was like I couldn't pick and choose when to communicate with you. I tried my hardest. I went to meditation classes and everything to try to learn how to contact you properly. I- Oh god- I took acid to-" Now he was the one rambling. At least it made Joshua smile, though, the chestnut-haired boy had brought a hand up to cover his mouth as he stifled a laugh. 

"You really did all that for me?"

"Yeah." Jeonghan's voice was barely above a whisper, wind almost carrying it away. His eyes flickered down to Joshua's other hand, which was settled on the boy's knee. His fingers were long and slender and looked as if they would fit perfectly in between his. "I've been doing everything to find you."

Joshua's breath hitched. He- This was all he had ever wanted. To find his soulmate. He had avoided long term relationships with anyone else, because he knew the one for him was out there somewhere. He didn't want to waste his love on anyone else. 

Though, it had always been terrified that his soulmate wouldn't feel the same. Sure, they were linked via fate, destined to be together. But it was the 21st century, people weren't a slave to their emotions anymore. It wasn't as taboo to go against soulmarks as it was when their parents were younger. There were plenty of perfectly happy and healthy relationships out there which didn't involve two people being one another's soulmates. 

But that wasn't the case. Jeonghan wanted to find him. Wanted him. 

"I..I-" Joshua wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. He sort of just wanted to lunge across the bench and plant a big wet kiss on Jeo-

_'So one last time, I need to be the one who takes you home. One more t-'_

"Shit!" Joshua hissed under his breath as his phone went off in his pocket. Of all the times- "Oh, shit!"

Jeonghan laughed under his breath. For someone so sweet and innocent looking Joshua sure swore a lot. He even looked cute with exasperation written all over his sharp features. 

"Nice ringtone choice."

"Hm? What? Oh-" Joshua's cheeks flared up again, this time going fully crimson as opposed to just being dusted with pink. Why didn't he change his ringtone? For fucks sake. 

"It's a good song." He pouted, faux huffing as Jeonghan laughed at him again. "Of you don't like Ariana then I'm not sure we can be together."

Jeonghan quirked an eyebrow as the younger crossed his arms defiantly across his chest, nose stuck in the air, eyelashes fanned out against his cheekbones. 

He had two options here. He could apologise, tell Joshua he was cute, and they could continue talking this out. Or he could tease him about his rather forward choice of words. 

Option two sounded like the better idea. 

"Be together?" Jeonghan repeated, an air of mischief in his voice. 

 _Fuck_. Joshua's eyes snapped open. Had he actually said that? After a fucking hour of meeting his- Oh Jesus Christ. Good one, Hong. You've scared him off already. Drove the man you're meant to spend the rest of your life with away in a matter of min-

"I mean, I think I should at least take you out on a date or two before we make anything official."

What? Did he-

"A date? Really?"

"Yeah." Jeonghan beamed. Joshua was the epitome of adorable. "Why wouldn't I want to take my soulmate out on a date?"

So, he did. A few, in fact. He couldn't help himself, he just wanted to be in Joshua's company as much as physically possible. 

He knew it was a cliché, but he honestly felt like he was complete now. He had his other half. He felt whole. 

He couldn't help but smile fondly whenever Joshua would pronounce a word wrong, or he would swear under his breath in English. He felt electricity coursing through his veins whenever they held hands, Joshua's thumb rubbing soothing circles into the back of his hand to calm him down, because he felt it too. He would sigh contentedly every time a pair of arms would snake around his waist, head lulling back against Joshua's shoulder, feeling like that's where he truly belonged, like he fit perfectly in the youngers hold. His head would spin every time Joshua's lips would brush against his, unable to keep himself from pressing forward, from deepening the kiss, from letting the world know that Joshua was _his_ soulmate and no one else's.  

He learnt more and more about his soulmate every day. And he fell deeper and deeper in love every day. They truly were made for one another. There were times where he wondered if this whole soulmate thing was bullshit; how could the universe possibly know who was the perfect match for someone else? But they were. Joshua was talkative and sociable where Jeonghan was more reserved, in time the auburn-haired boy managed to coax him out of his shell so they were both the life and soul of the party, while Jeonghan absolutely loved having someone to dote on, someone to look after - and Joshua could be quite the baby when he wanted.

They did almost everything together. Jeonghan helped Joshua with his written Korean and Joshua helped Jeonghan study for hi _s 'incredibly boring'_ philosophy degree. He had forgotten what it felt like to wake up alone considering Joshua hardly ever stayed at his own place. He had even introduced the redhead to his parents - who absolutely adored the boy. Honestly, Jeonghan was sure their preferred Joshua over him, the way his mother would dote on the American whenever the two of them went over to visit.

It was, dare he say...perfect. 

But there was just one thing bothering him. 

意想

It just...it wasn't a word. The two symbols didn't have any meaning when put together. 

And that didn't make sense. 

"Maybe it's, like, super ancient so it doesn't really make sense anymore." Was Joshua's way of trying to justify things, but Jeonghan wasn't convinced. 

Something just didn't feel right. 

Not between the two of them, of course not. He loved Joshua more than anything, he couldn't imagine his life without the younger. Plus, they were soulmates. Right? 

He traced the outline of the newest addition to his wrist, the one that had appeared in that coffee shop over two years ago. 

意

Mind. Thought. Idea. 

He knew fine well what it meant. It was fairly similar to his own symbol, just pronounced _i_ instead of _sou_. It made sense, in a way, with their whole telepathy thing, which had improved massively since they found one another. Who needed phone calls when you could transmit a message straight to your partners mind any time you wanted? 

But he just couldn't get past the fact their symbols didn't form a word together, because that's all he had known. That's how he was meant to know he was whole. 

And that's all he had ever wanted. 

"You're cute."

Jeonghan flinched, hiding his wrist as Joshua beamed down at him. He didn't want his boyfriend to know he was still so hung up on this, because Joshua didn't seem to care at all, he had finally found Jeonghan and that was all that mattered to him. So what if their symbols were different to everyone else's? They had the same things etched into their skin, and that was good enough for him. 

Joshua settled down next to the elder, head rested on his shoulder as he took a hold of Jeonghan's wrist, picking up the tracing motions from where Jeonghan had left off. He actually kind of loved that their soulmarks didn't make sense, they were unique, it made their relationship feel more special in a way. 

"I think about the day we met all the time, you know." He sighed dreamily, intertwining their fingers so their soulmarks brushed up against one another; Joshua's on the inside of his right wrist and Jeonghan's on his left. It was kind of like they were kissing, and Joshua was a little childish and soppy and thought that was adorable. 

"How crazy is it that we're literally from opposite sides of the world and we just happened to be in the same coffee shop? We could have gone our entire lives without ever crossing each other's paths." 

Jeonghan smiled to himself, nuzzling into Joshua's hair, enveloped by the scent of coconut. It was weird how that seemed to calm him, now. How whenever he worked away he'd have to spray his pillow with coconut room spray or he wouldn't be able to sleep properly. 

But, that _was_ pretty crazy. What were the chances of that happening? Of finding your soulmate so young when the two of you were born on different continents. 9,580km apart and they still managed to find _the one_ , it was truly like they were drawn to one another. 

That was the exact moment Jeonghan told himself to stop worrying about the relevancy of meaning behind their soulmarks. Both of their symbols were to do with thoughts, and ultimately, that was how they found one another. And that's all that mattered - that they _had_ found one another. 

He needed to focus on Joshua, on the man he loved and their relationship, not some deep meaning behind a couple of Japanese symbols. 

So, he decided to do just that, nudging his shoulder to urge Joshua to move his head, which caused the younger to whine. Momentarily. Before Jeonghan's lips collided with his own, before he completely melted into his boyfriend. 

Jeonghan smiled between kisses as he was rewarded with soft gasps, with fingers threading through his hair, as Joshua pulled away, so he could lie back against the arm of the sofa, Jeonghan hot on his heels, chasing the redhead's lips. 

He had no idea how Joshua still had this effect on him, after all these years. He thought that maybe things would simmer down after a while, that they'd begin to plateau, like they would in a normal relationship. But they didn't. He didn't know if that was just how soulmates worked, if it would always be like this. If he would always get butterflies whenever Joshua smiled, see fireworks behind his eyelids as they made out or if his hair would stand on end every time they touched. 

It was like every kiss was their first kiss, a slight nervous energy hung in the air. Every time they made love was their first time, flushed cheeks and tentative touches - no matter how much they had experimented since their actual first time. 

"I love you." Jeonghan breathed as they parted, chests flush against one another, rising and falling in tandem. He couldn't take his eyes off of Joshua's, he always seemed to get lost in them no matter how many hours he'd spent gazing into them. He could never seem to find his way out. "So fucking much."

Joshua's lips curled up into a cat-like smile as his fingers tangled in the back of Jeonghan's hair. His heart was racing, he could feel it ricocheting against his ribcage. How did those three words still manage to catch him off guard? 

He tilted his hips up, brushing up against Jeonghan's which caused the elder to chuckle softly. He knew what that meant. He could read Joshua like a book, no matter how subtle his hints may be. And they usually were. He liked to try to keep Jeonghan guessing, but not tonight. Tonight, he wanted Jeonghan to know exactly how he felt. 

Jeonghan whimpered as Joshua pulled him in close, arms giving way, so he was sprawled flat out on top of his boyfriend. It wasn't often that Joshua was so direct with him, rough even. If anything, it was usually the other way around. But he actually liked it when Joshua's lips caught his in a deep, intimate kiss, when a handful of his hair was tugged at, when a familiar tongue delved into his mouth, when a leg hooked around the back of his to keep him in place. 

Joshua panted as he pulled away, that kittenish grin on his face that Jeonghan loved to much.

"I love you so fucking much, too."


End file.
